GROSSE POINTE SHORES (WWJ) - City leaders in Grosse Pointe Shores voted to approve a breed-specific ban against pitbull-type dogs on Tuesday evening, months after a vicious dog attack prompted the discussion.
City council members voted 4-3 during the Sept. 19 meeting after listening to comments from dozens of community members.
While residents called for a stronger vicious dog ordnance, the majority spoke out against a breed-specific ban. The comments come over three months after a couple and their small dog were attacked by an off-leash dog, identified as a pit bull-type.
Victim and dog owner, Mike Owens, was present at the meeting and supported the ban.
At an earlier July meeting, he recounted the terrifying three and a half minutes he and his wife, Dana, struggled to save their 14-year-old Cocker Spaniel and poodle mix, Maddie, from the jaws of an aggressive dog on June 4.
"I was punching it in the face," Dana said of the incident. "A runner or somebody nearby was like, ‘How can we help?’ And we were just like, ‘Just kick it. Do something…' And it wouldn't release [Maddie]."
Mike was bit and injured in the incident while his small dog had to have her leg amputated.
The owners went on to say how the attacking dog's owner was not reprimanded over the encounter and the couple -- along with other residents -- now fear to walk their dogs in the area.
According to the city, the owner of the pit bull-type dog was new to town and was able to provide medical records and a current rabies vaccination for the animal. The dog was quarantined at the home instead of removed.
According to the Grosse Pointe Shores Code of Ordnances, "no person owning, keeping, possessing or harboring any dog or cat shall permit such dog or cat to be on a public street or highway, in a public park, public building or any other public place at any time" unless it is on a leash of no more than ten feet or in a vehicle.
Furthermore, the ordnance states that residents are not allowed to own, keep, harbor or possess "vicious dogs" that are outlined as "one that bites or attacks a person, or a dog that bites or attacks and causes serious injury or death to another dog while the other dog is on the property or under the control of its owner."
Only a small number of residents expressed support of the ban at the public meeting on Tuesday.
It is currently unknown how the city would be able to determine what kinds of dogs are "pit bulls" -- as no such breed actually exists, per the American Kennel Club.
The word "Pit Bull" is an overall term to describe a group of different dog breeds that share similar physical characteristics, the organization outlined. They typically include the American Bully, the American Pit Bull Terrier, the American Staffordshire Terrier, the Staffordshire Bull Terrier and the American Bulldog.
It is unclear if the ban approved on Tuesday night will include any dogs that are mixed.
According to the World Animal Foundation, there are 18 million Pit Bull-type dogs and their mixes in the U.S, most of which are used for service or guarding work.
City council members did determine that licensed dogs that fall under the ban and currently live in the city would be grandfathered in, but owners must meet a list of requirements, including a 6-foot fence, keeping the dogs on a leash and carrying a $100,000 liability insurance policy in the event their dog causes any damage or injuries.